Chapter 183

"Have you heard? That Zhou Xuan is actually an invader; he came to the Honkai World just to plunder resources and destroy our peace!"

A hooligan wearing tattered clothes whispered to his companion.

This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, quickly causing ripples in the teahouse.

Zhou Xuan and Xingluo looked at each other, both feeling unease surge in their hearts.

Zhou Xuan stood up, walked toward the group of hooligans, and asked in a low voice: "On what basis do you say that? I, Zhou Xuan, ask myself that I have never done anything against my conscience to the Disaster Empire!"

Seeing this, the hooligans sneered one after another, and one of them even provoked: "Hmph, evidence? When you are spurned by everyone, naturally someone will find evidence for you!"

Rumors spread like wildfire, quickly spreading to every corner of the Disaster Empire.

On the streets and in the alleys, people discussed it, casting strange looks at Zhou Xuan and Xingluo.

"It really is true that you can know a person's face but not their heart; I didn't expect Zhou Xuan to be such a person."

"That's right, it's a pity we trusted him so much; it turns out he is an invader!"

These words were like sharp blades, cutting the hearts of Zhou Xuan and Xingluo.

Xingluo held Zhou Xuan's hand tightly, her eyes full of firmness: "Xuan, I believe in you; we must find the truth and clear our names!"

However, the truth seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of fog, difficult to reach.

Zhou Xuan and Xingluo ran around, attempting to explain to people, but their voices were soon drowned out by endless accusations and curses.

Facing the increasingly severe situation, Zhou Xuan decided to take a more direct way to expose the truth.

He organized a rally and invited many citizens of the Disaster Empire to attend.

At the rally, the noise was deafening, and the atmosphere was tense. Zhou Xuan stood on a high platform, looking at the crowd of people below, took a deep breath, and began his speech....

"Citizens of the Disaster Empire, I know there have been many rumors about me spreading recently. But I want to say that these rumors are nonsense and were done by someone on purpose!"

Zhou Xuan's voice was firm and powerful, piercing through the noise of the crowd.

He continued: "I ask myself that I have a clear conscience toward the Disaster Empire; every battle was to protect everyone's safety and interests. And those who spread rumors, they are the real enemies, attempting to disrupt our unity and stability by smearing me!"

However, his speech did not immediately gain the approval of everyone.

Some people still held a skeptical attitude, and some even began to boo.

"Talk is cheap! What evidence do you have to prove you are not an invader?"

A radical shouted loudly.

Zhou Xuan did not retreat; he looked coldly at the radical: "Evidence? I will find it! But before that, I hope everyone can remain calm and rational and not be blinded by rumors!"

After the rally, Zhou Xuan and Xingluo began to investigate the source of the rumors in depth.

They visited many places and finally discovered the traces of those hooligans.

It turned out that these hooligans had always been eyeing the control of the Disaster Empire.

They used Zhou Xuan's experience in the Honkai World as a cover to spread rumors to weaken his reputation and influence, thereby paving the way for themselves to seize control.

Zhou Xuan and Xingluo were furious; they decided to bring these hooligans to justice.

After a fierce battle, they finally subdued these villains 2.0 and handed them over to the law enforcement agencies of the Disaster Empire.

With the arrest of the hooligans, the truth gradually surfaced.

The citizens of the Disaster Empire began to re-examine the identities and contributions of Zhou Xuan and Xingluo.

They realized they had been blinded by rumors and felt deep guilt and respect for Zhou Xuan and Xingluo.

At a new rally, Zhou Xuan stood on the high platform again.

But this time, his face was filled with confidence and a smile.

He announced to everyone the exposure of the truth and the news of the hooligans being brought to justice.

"Citizens of the Disaster Empire, I am very happy to tell everyone: we have found the source of the rumors and eradicated it!"

Zhou Xuan's voice resounded throughout the venue, "I hope everyone can learn a lesson from this and remain vigilant and rational in facing future challenges!"

The crowd erupted in warm applause and cheers.

191. 【They Are Too Cunning】

Zhou Xuan and Xingluo looked at each other and smiled; they knew: although they experienced a disturbance, their friendship and faith were therefore even firmer.

Suspense: New Challenges

However, just when everything seemed to return to normal, a new crisis quietly descended.

The Disaster Empire suddenly encountered an unprecedented challenge—a powerful unknown force was approaching their territory.

The source of this power was unknown but its power was astonishing, causing the entire Disaster Empire to fall into panic.

Zhou Xuan and Xingluo stood on the city wall, looking at the sky shrouded in darkness in the distance, their hearts filled with worry and unease.

They knew: this battle would be more difficult and dangerous than any previous one, but they also understood: only by being united as one could they overcome all difficulties.

"Xingluo, are we ready?"

Zhou Xuan turned to look at Xingluo and asked.

Xingluo nodded firmly: "No matter what challenges we face, we will face them together and overcome them together!"

The two held hands tightly, their gazes firmly looking into the distance, as if they had already seen the dawn of victory...

The sky of the Disaster Empire seemed to be shrouded in a layer of heavy haze; the rumors of the past few days were like a storm, ruthlessly impacting every corner.

Zhou Xuan, this hero once known for his wisdom and courage, had now become a "sinner" in the eyes of everyone. His image, under the gaze of countless eyes, gradually became blurred and distorted.

The blackened ones, those enemies hidden in the dark, were like cunning poisonous snakes, looking for every gap that could be utilized.

In a public speech, in order to inspire the public to face the coming crisis, Zhou Xuan's words were inevitably a bit radical, but unexpectedly, these words were carefully edited by the blackened ones, taken out of context, and woven into an airtight net, binding Zhou Xuan tightly.

"Listen to those words he said; it's simply disloyalty to the empire!"

On the streets and in the alleys, such discussions rose one after another.

Rumors spread like wildfire, quickly spreading to the entire Disaster Empire, and even reaching the border.

Zhou Xuan's mansion, once bustling with visitors, was now deserted.

Those friends who had once fought side by side with him, those allies who had once sworn to guard this land together, now also avoided him.

In their eyes, there was more doubt and less trust.

"Zhou Xuan, you have changed."

An old friend sighed gently before leaving; that tone contained both regret and helplessness.

Zhou Xuan looked at his departing back, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He knew that the power of rumors was enough to destroy everything, including the firmest friendship.

In the dead of night, Zhou Xuan and Xingluo sat opposite each other.

Under the dim candlelight, the faces of both appeared exceptionally solemn.

"What should we do?"

Xingluo's voice trembled slightly; she had never seen Zhou Xuan so depressed.

"We cannot just give up like this."

Zhou Xuan clenched his fists tightly, his gaze firm, "We must find evidence, expose the conspiracy of the blackened ones, and clear our names."

Xingluo nodded, a flash of resolve in her eyes.

She knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, she would accompany Zhou Xuan and face it together.

In the following days, Zhou Xuan and Xingluo began a secret investigation.

They carefully shuttled through every corner of the Disaster Empire, looking for traces of the blackened ones.

However, the blackened ones seemed to have anticipated their actions, escaping their pursuit by a hair's breadth every time.

"They are too cunning."

Xingluo leaned against the wall, panting, sweat sliding down her cheeks,

"If we continue like this, I'm afraid we will never find evidence."

"No,"

Zhou Xuan shook his head, "As long as we don't give up, one day we will find them."

Just as Zhou Xuan and Xingluo's investigation reached a stalemate, the blackened ones suddenly launched an assassination operation.

It was a beautiful afternoon; Zhou Xuan and Xingluo were out for a walk when they unexpectedly encountered an ambush.

"Be careful!"

Zhou Xuan pushed Xingluo away, and he himself met the oncoming sharp blade.

After a fierce struggle, Zhou Xuan, relying on his superior martial arts and Xingluo's assistance, finally escaped the danger.

But Xingluo was seriously injured in the battle, and blood stained her clothes.

"Xingluo!" Zhou Xuan held Xingluo, his heart filled with anger and self-reproach, "I must avenge you!" ===== CHAPTER 184 =====